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Topic Review (Newest First)

01-12-2013 10:04 AM

DharmasMom

He is gorgeous!! It sounds like it was just fate that he ended up with you. I am very sorry to hear about the heart arrhythmia. Hopefully it is something he will just outgrow or can be easily maintained on meds.

01-12-2013 09:01 AM

doggiedad

forget about being Alpha when it comes to your marriage.
we're not Alpha in a marriage. if you think your Alpha in a
marriage you're not. forget about being Alpha when it
comes to your dog. you train him, socialize him, love
him, spent a lot time with him, care for him and everything
is going to be find. make sure you and your wife take care
of your dog equally concerning all aspects of the dog.
nice looking pup. good luck. (dogs have paws not hooves and
the front paws are larger).

01-12-2013 08:11 AM

Mooch

I hope your puppy will be ok, he's handsome fellow Sounds like he's settling in well already too
You can get health issues in puppies from registered breeders as well, and yeah you have health guarantee and can give them back - but even then not many people will do that once they are attached to the puppy!

Your wife did wrong. You certainly should have had a say over your choice of pup. And from the Amish? I hope she has learned her lesson.

That's pretty harsh, especially the "learnt her lesson" comment

Yeah his wife made a mistake, it happens.
Yes they should have gone and picked a puppy together but I think if his wife read the above comment she'd be very hurt and upset.

The dog had already been bred, it was in need of a home and she decided to give him one. Is that so much different from getting a dog from a dog rescue where this dog (and so many other BYB dogs) likely would have ended up anyway?
Backyarders will ALWAYS breed and make money off selling pups if they sell them for a few $100 instead of a few $1000 like "reputable" breeders charge.
To most people that want a pet dog it doesn't matter if that dog has papers or not (often they don't understand about the health issues, they just think it's papers they are paying for)- "it's cheap, it's a (insert breed), it'll do".
I think the only way you would ever stamp out BYBs is by the "proper" breeders selling pups for the same price as a BYB would. (Which I realise is unrealistic due to the cost of "proper" breeding)

To the OP - the main thing is that you don't use this dog for breeding Give him a good life, neuter him, work him and love him

01-11-2013 12:10 PM

CRider

Thanks for the feedback Lee, and especially the information on the club, much appreciated!

Chris

01-11-2013 11:39 AM

wolfstraum

Sorry to hear that your pup has a medical issue...hopefully it can be treated and he can be maintained on meds....perhaps that is why he is with you, because you can make the commitment to maintain his health....but that is also the biggest reason to avoid BYB/Puppy mills......and the Amish are not noted for being responsible, concerned breeders...I hope that Guinness has a long and happy life with you!

IPO/Schutzhund is a sport that can be very competitive and even many dogs whose paperwork is full of Sch3 ancestors are often not suitable for competition, or while the dog can be titled with tons and tons of work and only on club fields, it is a learning experience for those whose interest is piqued and want to get another dog.....many of these dogs still enjoy doing obedience and tracking and fulfill their need to "have a job"... The club you mention is one whose members are sucessful in the sport, and if you want to pursue some obedience work, I think the Training Director does give lessons...he is accomplished and from what I know, a good guy!

Lee

01-11-2013 11:06 AM

CRider

Yeah. It serves as a good lesson. If I returned him, I'm sure they would either re-adopt him out or just put him down. It wouldn't teach the breeder a thing, it wouldn't change anything other than losing a very sweet dog that my family loves. For now, I feed him well (Blue Buffalo), exercise him all he wants, work with him on obedience training, and we love him to death. Hopefully he'll grow out of it, or at the least not be held back too much by it. He's going to have some excitement pretty soon, we're moving to a new house (only 5 blocks away, and he's already been through the house a few times LOL) next weekend that'll have more room for him and a bigger yard as well.

01-11-2013 10:09 AM

Espo4442

I'm sorry to hear that. Really is the luck of the draw with Amish breeders, and unfortunately even if you did return him he would most likely not be given great care if any at all. Hopefully it's something he grows out of, really is a good looking pup.

01-11-2013 09:58 AM

CRider

Yeah, his weight hasn't really grown much in the two weeks, maybe he was just on a growth spurt? lol I did send an email to Joe, hadn't heard back at all though. I dunno if that's going to be a good route to go with Guinness in any case. Last week we had him in to the vets for an exam and shots and found out he has a heart arrhythmia. The vet isn't sure yet how bad or anything and said it could very well be something he grows out of, but is suggesting a round of EKG/blood tests/etc. Returning the dog to the breeder simply isn't an option, my whole family (including myself) has fallen for this dog and we've decided that we'll just have to help him deal with this and give him the best care we can. He's a happy dog, energetic, playful, and doing very well with other people/dogs and is learning well. Hopefully the tests will tell us more about what's going on.

01-11-2013 09:12 AM

Espo4442

Good looking Pup! I understand your frustration with not being able to pick the pup but at least it appears she did an excellent job lol. I wouldn't Worry about the weight as all dogs grow at different rates. Mine was 45lbs last week (17weeks) and he's not what I would consider fat at all. Just curious, have you gotten in touch with Joe? I tried emailing him but haven't heard back yet...I'm located in Carlisle.

12-29-2012 12:15 AM

readaboutdogs

Don't know anything about the clubs but he is a sweet looking boy! Cody was the last pup left and was my soulmate and heart for over 11 years! Destiny!

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